


This Time Around

by itainthardtryin



Series: We're Bad At Dating: Clexa Edition (AU tumblr prompts) [7]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 09:22:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3686925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itainthardtryin/pseuds/itainthardtryin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part seven of the 'We're Bad At Dating' series, based on this prompt: We had one really bad date and never spoke again and now our friends have set us up on a blind date.</p>
<p>Alternatively, Clarke and Lexa had one awful date. But Octavia and Raven are convinced that Lexa is perfect for Clarke, so they organise a second date. Things go a little differently this time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Time Around

“Oh, come on it can’t have been that bad,” Raven laughs.

“Seriously, it was the worst date I’ve ever been on,” Clarke repeats.

”I think if you just gave her a chance, you two would really hit it off.”

“No, O, if I gave her a chance I’d probably end up hitting her.”

Octavia gives in. “Fine, but I’m just saying. It’s your loss. She’s smokin’ hot.”

Clarke considers this for a second, but still can’t shake the disastrous date from her head. “Being hot can only get you so far,” Clarke tells them. “She could be Angelina Jolie, but if we aren’t compatible, then it’s just not going to work."

“Please tell me you at least brought her back to your apartment?”

Clarke sighs. “Guys, I told you, it was awful. I couldn’t get out of there quick enough.”

Raven and Octavia shake their heads in disappointment. “Can’t believe you didn’t even get a one night stand out of it.”

“Yeah, I mean, if you’re one hundred percent never going to see someone again, then the sensible thing to do would be at least to get yourself off,” Raven says.

“I still get off, Raven, but I don’t need Lexa for that. Or anyone. Thanks for your concern though.”

“Gross.”

 

\---

 

“We need to set them up again,” Octavia tells Raven over dinner.

“O, they clearly didn’t enjoy each other’s company. Why would we do that?”

“Because they’re fucking perfect for each other, babe! Can’t you see? Tell me you don’t think Lexa would be able to handle Clarke when she’s being all stubborn and moody?”

Raven considers it for a second. The nights they’ve tried to make Clarke see sense, only for Clarke to huff with them and ignore them. She knows that Lexa would be able to cut right through that icy exterior. “She’d probably find it cute.”

“Exactly! And don’t tell me you think Clarke wouldn’t benefit from dating someone who is actually as outgoing as she is.”

“Isn’t the saying ‘opposites attract’ though?”

Octavia sighs. “There are exceptions to every rule. You know that.” Octavia looks at Raven, waiting for her to get on board with the idea.

“One more date, O. If they don’t hit it off this time, then we back off.”

Octavia silently celebrates her victory. “You set up Clarke. I’ll deal with Lexa.”

 

\----

 

Clarke has been looking forward to this date all weekend. Raven told her that she’s found the perfect girl for her, and that she’s convinced that they should be together. She said that her date is hot, outgoing, and has just had a bad dating experience herself. Clarke smiled at the last one, knowing that it wasn’t just her who had awful dates.

Raven told her to meet the mysterious woman at a Starbucks a few blocks from her apartment, and Clarke has a spring in her step the whole way there. She’s full of excitement from head to toe, ready to wash the slate clean and get back on track with dating. She turns the corner and her eyes immediately find the Starbucks. Clarke desperately looks for her date. All Raven said was that she would know who it was right away.

Clarke was hoping it would be some six foot tall blonde model, or even an Olivia Wilde look-a-like, or maybe-

Clarke freezes to the spot when she sees her.

Lexa is leaning against the wall beside the door, head down, scrolling through her phone. She hasn’t seen Clarke. It would be so easy to walk away. Pretend she didn’t even come. Lexa wouldn’t mind being stood up. She’s too headstrong for that. That was partially why their date was so awful. Lexa was so opinionated, so forward, and Clarke thought their morals were just too different.

But Clarke watches Lexa for long moments. How the breeze moves her hair and she reaches up to move it out of her face. How the sides of her mouth curve up in an almost smile when she sees something on her phone that amuses her.

Then, Lexa looks up, eyes searching the sidewalk for her date. She looks away from Clarke first, but then a few seconds later she turns her head in Clarke’s direction . It doesn’t take long for their eyes to meet, and neither of them are sure how to react.

Clarke decides to give it a shot.

 

\---

 

“We’ve been set up,” Lexa says as soon as Clarke’s close enough to hear.

“We should know better than to trust those two by now,” Clarke replies. “Do we really want to do this again?”

Lexa considers it for a moment. Clarke grows increasingly nervous. She doesn’t understand why, but in the past five minutes she’s decided she wants a second date. Even if she didn’t gel with Lexa the first time. She thinks it might be a case of just getting off on the wrong foot. “I’ve had worse dates,” Lexa offers in place of a ‘yes’. “I suppose it wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

Clarke would be offended if she didn’t see the subtle hint of a smile on Lexa’s face. “Not Starbucks though,” Clarke says. “Let’s do something different.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Lexa tells her, wide-eyed and mystified.

 

\---

 

“I think we should start over,” Clarke says as they walk with no real destination in mind..

Lexa stops in her tracks. “Lexa. Pleased to meet you.”

Clarke laughs. “Clarke. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Satisfied that the past is now water under the bridge, Lexa starts walking again. Clarke takes a few quick steps to catch up. “This is your part of the town, Clarke. Where should we go?”

Clarke thinks about everything there is to do in the area. Bars, cafes, shops. Then she thinks of the one place she likes better than anywhere else. “I know just the place. Follow me.”

 

\---

 

They walk for another twenty minutes, small talk filling the silence between them. They cover the most boring topics - the weather, what they each had for lunch, dramas at work. Clarke is thankful to see steps ahead of them, leading them off ground level, and up to the Highline.

“I’ve never actually been here,” Lexa admits, looking around the area and taking it in. “I’ve always meant to come.”

“I love it here,” Clarke tells her as they make their way up the stairs. “It’s the perfect balance between staying in the city and escaping it.”

“Why would you want to escape?”

Clarke’s heart speeds up. Not because of the personal nature of the question, but because it’s the first question Lexa’s asked that isn’t small talk. That indicates that this date might actually be working out.

“Everyone needs to escape every now and then.” Lexa doesn’t respond, just takes the reply in. “You’ll like it up here. You almost forget you’re in New York.”

As they reach the top of the stairs, they start to walk along the path. Lexa observes the greenery all around her, looking at it in awe. “What’s wrong? You’ve never seen plants before?” Clarke jokes.

“It just feels familiar. Reminds me of something.” She offers no further explanation. Clarke starts to wonder what her story is.

“I find it comforting,” Clarke admits, taking the burden off Lexa. “It feels a lot less harsh than block after block of concrete.”

“The city is right there,” Lexa reminds her, pointing to the buildings.

“I know. But try to forget that it is. Try to pretend it’s just this path. Just these trees. Just the river in the distance.” The _just us_ goes unsaid.

Lexa’s expression changes, as if Clarke has sparked something inside her. Like she understands what Clarke means. “I can do that.”

“Awesome. Now, come on, I’ve something I want to show you."

 

\---

 

Clarke can’t help but smile every time Lexa asks her an actual, honest to God question. Maybe this is where they went wrong last time. Maybe they were too quick to tell the other about themselves, but not patient enough to understand. This time, Lexa seems like a different person. Reserved. Interested.

“Here we are.”

Lexa looks out over the Hudson River, admiring the view. She walks to the railings and leans into them. Clarke makes her way over to join her. “It’s beautiful,” Lexa observes.

“I think so. I paint it sometimes. I like how the colors of the sky change. How the river is never the same.”

Lexa takes her eyes off the view, and turns them to Clarke instead for the first time since they met at Starbucks. The intensity of Lexa’s eyes take Clarke’s breath away a little. “I was wrong about you, Clarke.”

“I think maybe we were both wrong.”

“Maybe we were.”

The silence between them is comfortable. Lexa eventually tears her gaze away from Clarke, and returns it to the skyline.

“Do you want to sit down?” Clarke asks, pointing at the chairs-slash-loungers dotted along the path.

“Sure,” Lexa agrees, leading the way. The chairs are all different sizes - some big enough for entire families, some for only one person. Lexa choose the latter. “Sit beside me,” she says, moving her body over to leave half the chair free. Clarke obliges, sitting down beside her. Their bodies touch as there isn’t much space to move, and Clarke doesn’t know what to do with her arm that’s between them.

Thankfully, Lexa takes it into her own hands. Literally.

Clarke almosts jumps at the contact when Lexa locks their fingers together and lays them on her lap.

“This is okay, right?” she asks.

“More than okay.”

“Good.”

 

\---

 

“Where did you grow up?” Clarke asks Lexa. They’ve been sitting on the lounger for almost an hour, exchanging stories of ex-lovers, of drunken nights out and everything in between. The sun is starting to set, turning the sky vibrant shades of red and orange. Clarke doesn’t pay any attention to it though. She watches the color change on Lexa’s face instead.

“I grew up in Ridgefield, Washington,” she starts. “We’d go camping every summer. I spent most of my childhood in forests - climbing trees, playing in streams, having very serious games of hide and seek.” Clarke laughs. “We moved to New York when I was thirteen. We lived upstate.”

“Sounds like you had a good time growing up.”

“I can’t complain. I moved to Manhattan for college, and haven’t left since.”

“Would you ever leave?” Clarke asks.

“If I had a reason to,” Lexa admits. “But right now, everything I want and need is right here.”

 

\---

 

The sun is almost completely down by the time they realise how late it is. They’re nowhere near done talking. But Lexa’s stomach is rumbling and they need something to eat.

“Come back to my place. I’ll make us something.”

Lexa doesn’t hesitate. “Sounds like a plan.”

“I don’t live far,” Clarke tells her, standing up ready to lead the way. The whole side of her body craves Lexa’s touch again. She feels cold without her warmth.

“Good. Because I’m hungry.” Something in the tone of Lexa’s voice tells Clarke that she doesn’t just mean for food.

 

\---

 

“We only live about ten blocks apart,” is the first thing Lexa says when Clarke tells her they’ve arrived at her apartment block.

“Convenient,” Clarke flirts back.

“It will be,” Lexa teases.

 

\---

 

Clarke makes them both a sandwich, putting in any fillings she can find in her fridge. When they’re done, she takes Lexa’s plate along with her own and takes them to the kitchen to put in the sink.

When she comes back into the living room, something has changed in Lexa. She can see it on her person, in her body language, in the darkness of her eyes.

“Are you full?” Clarke asks.

“I think I have room for dessert.”

“I have cheesecake.” Clarke plays along even though she knows exactly what Lexa means. Clarke has room for dessert too. Lexa rolls her eyes, thinking Clarke doesn’t get what she means. “But I’d rather have you.”

Lexa smirks, her whole body showing how much she craves Clarke’s touch. “Sounds much tastier.” Lexa’s voice is like liquid, pouring over Clarke making her shiver from head to toe.

“Why don’t I show you the bedroom?” Clarke suggests.

“Or how about we dine right here?”

**Author's Note:**

> It's more than likely that there'll be no update this Wednesday, as one of my best friends from tumblr is coming to visit in real life over the Easter break, so I probably won't be writing while she's here! If you want to see what we're getting up to, you can follow me on tumblr (and introduce yourself, and become one of the aforementioned tumblr friends) at scottcanyounot.tumblr.com. Thanks as always for all your feedback :)


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